FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 24, 2002

Contact: Brian Alexander (202) 321-CUBA (2822)

U.S. CONGRESS VOTES AGAINST CUBAN EMBARGO

UNPRECEDENTED SERIES OF VOTES MARKS LARGEST SINGLE CONGRESSIONAL MOVE TO LIFT DECADES-OLD POLICY

July 24, 2002, Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly supported a series of measures that weaken the forty-two year old U.S. embargo of Cuba. In what some have called a “landslide” for anti-embargo proponents, the House passed three measures to ease the Cuban embargo, fended off an effort to keep the travel ban in place, and gained votes over last year on a measure that would end the embargo altogether.

“These votes send the clearest signal ever that it is time to move beyond the embargo in the United States’ approach toward Cuba. The American people support a change in policy, and it is obvious that the Congress shares this sentiment. The votes tonight are historic,” said Ambassador Sally Grooms Cowal, president of Cuba Policy Foundation.

The closely watched travel amendment sponsored by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) to end funding for enforcement of the travel ban, won by a strong, unprecedented majority of 262-187. Rep. Flake’s amendment would make it easier for Americans to visit the island. Last evening’s passage of the Flake amendment marks a 22 vote increase over a victory margin of 240, by which the amendment had passed twice in the past two years.

Congressmen Flake and Bill Delahunt (D-MA) saw passage by 251-177 of their measure to end restrictions on remittances that Americans may send to friends and family in Cuba. The remittance cap, called a “ban on charity” by its opponents, currently limits Americans to sending no more than $1200 per year to family and friends in Cuba. Under the Flake-Delahunt amendment, this restriction would no longer apply. Such restrictions do not exist for other countries, and remittances are an essential source of livelihood for many Cubans, who endure hardships under Cuba’s economic woes.

The amendment sponsored by Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS) to remove some restrictions on the currently legalized sale of farm products to Cuba passed by a voice vote. The measure is widely supported by farm state members, U.S. farmers, banks and others. It removes finance barriers written into a 2000 law that made it legal to sell U.S. farm products to Cuba.

Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) saw support grow for his amendment to prohibit funds for enforcement of the entire embargo. The Rangel amendment failed by the close vote of 204-226, which is up from 201 votes last July, and 181 votes in the year 2000.  This vote continues to show the increasing strength of anti-embargo sentiment in Congress.

Embargo supporters had attempted to thwart the Flake travel amendment with an amendment by Rep. Porter Goss (R-FL) that would have required the President to certify that Cuba is not involved in international terrorism before the Flake amendment would take effect. However, the Goss amendment failed by a solid182-247, paving the way for the Flake amendment to take effect.

Passage of the three Cuba amendments, which are part of the Treasury-Postal FY2003 appropriations bill, sets up what promises to be an interesting battle between the White House and the Congress. The Bush administration has suggested it would veto any bill with language easing the Cuban embargo. Meanwhile, the Senate has included an amendment to end the travel ban in its companion bill to the House bill, increasing the likelihood that language to lift the travel ban would make it to the President’s desk. Whether the President will follow-through on the suggestion of a veto could determine final outcome of the Congresses votes on Tuesday.

For more information, please contact Brian Alexander at the Cuba Policy Foundation, Cell: 202-321-CUBA (2822); Desk 202-835-0200.

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